Subsequent Course and Degree Paths of Students in a Treisman-Style Workshop Calculus Program

In 1989 members of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) implemented the Merit Workshop Calculus Program. Based on Treisman-style workshop calculus, the UIUC program was intended to address the problems of low success rates of students from underrepresented populations, and of failure to retain these students in mathematics- and science-based majors. The authors conducted their investigation by examining transcript records for patterns of (a) performance in first-semester calculus; (b) performance in courses that require first-semester calculus as a prerequisite; and (c) persistence at the university, especially in majors requiring calculus. Analyses included gender and ethnicity effects. The results indicate that the Merit Workshop Calculus Program had a positive impact for both genders and for several ethnic groups (African-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic). Particularly dramatic results were noted for women and for Hispanic students. The results reported here are important because they are based on longitudinal data and distinguish differential effects for both well- and underrepresented populations.